Device for holding loose or removable sheets of paper.



No. 789.643.- PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

- E. G. WEITLOOK. DEVISE EOE HOLDING LOOSE OE EEMOVAELE SHEETS OE PAPER.

APPLICATION lFILED OCT. 6.1902.

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PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

E. G. WEITLOCK. DEVICE EOE HOLDING EoosE 0E EEMOVABLE SHEETS 0E PAPER.

APPLIGATION FILED 0OT.6. 1902.

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Patented May 9, 1905.

PATENT Fries.

RALPH G. VVI-HTLOOK, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE FOR HOLDING LOOSE OR REMOVABLE SHEETS OF PAPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,643, dated May 9, 1905.

Application filed October 6, 1902. Serial No. 126,239.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, RALPH GnAvns WHIT- LOCK, of No. 1130 West Eighth street, in the city of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, in the State of California, have invented certain new and useful Devices for Holding Loose or Removable Sheets of Paper, o`f which the following is a full, clear, and exact description or specification, reference being had to the annexed sheets of drawings and to the letters marked thereon.

This invention, which relates to a device for holding or retaining in a book-like state or condition various kinds of loose or separate sheets of paper---sucln for example, as the loose sheets of paper constituting bills, orderforms, invoices, and the other classes of papers or documents which are employed in the carrying on of various kinds of commercial business or enterprises-consists of a cover which is constituted of two parts capable of containing between themselves the loose papers which are to be held together bookwise, and which parts are connected together by a spring mechanism which, while being in itself sufliciently yieldable to contain and hold tightly or securely between its opening and closing parts any required number of loose or removable sheets of paper, is also capable, by reason of the spring arrangements thereof, to accommodate itself to the holding together bookwise either a very small or a consider` able number of loose or removable sheets of paper.

Upon the annexed drawings, Figure l is a plan of the complete device constituting my present invention. Fig. 2 is a front or edge elevation of the same and showing some sheets of paper held therein corresponding to Fig. l. Fig. 3 is another side or edge elevation, showing the lower part of the device broken off and the upper part of the cover folded open and some of the contained loose or separate sheets of paper folded back (after the manner of the leaves of a book) from the pinching or clasping parts of the device and resting upon or against the folded-back upper cover thereof. Fig. 4 is another side or edge elevation ofthe device constituting my invention, showing the upper cover thereof pressed downward, so that its outer end touches or rests upon any Hat surface (indicated by a dotted line representing the surface of a table or desk upon which the lower cover part of the device may rest) and showing the pressure or clasping part of thedevice open to asufficiently wide extent to receive and hold within the device a much larger or much thicker pile or collection of loose or removable sheets of paper than are shown at Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is a side or edge elevation of the device constituting my invention, wherein the apparatus is shown with certain of its parts in such position that it is rendered capable of holding or retaining within itself a much greater thickness of loose or removable sheets of paper than is indicated by the device with its operative clasping parts in the position shown at Figs. 2, 3, and ll.

As shown more especially by Figs. l and 2,v the device constituting my invention consists of two stiff flat upper and lower covers, respectively marked A and B. The lower cover B is provided at its rear or left-hand end, as shown in the drawings, with a flat bent-over sheet-metal projection O. The iiat parts or portions of the covers A and B are preferably formed of sheets of mill-board, papiermche, boards of wood, or other sufliciently suitable material capable of maintaining a iiat surface, and these covers are finished, as indicated in the drawings, by an incasement of either leather, cloth, or other suitable covering material. The upper and under covers of theidevice, while being connected hingewise, are also connected so that the upper part of the device is connected to the lower part of the device by a spring-pressure arrangement, whereby the pressure-plate D is under all positions of the upper cover A always pressed down upon that part of the sheets of paper E resting upon the under cover B, which is opposite to the pressureplate D, so that under all circumstances whatever number or thickness of loose papers E are held between the pressure-plate D and the opposite part of the cover B the spring device always operates to so press these parts together as to insure the loose or removable sheets of paper being at all times held with lOO such pressure as may be requisite to retain the said loose papers between the pressureplate D and the opposite part of the lower cover B. While in Fig. 2 of the drawings the upper cover A is shown folded down and resting upon the loose sheets of paper E, in Figs. 3 to 5 the upper cover A is shown folded backward upon its wire or pivot F (which passes through the metallic loop L, forming the rear end of the top cover A) in different positions corresponding to either the holding of the loose sheets of paper, as in Fig. 3, or as corresponding to it being opened to receive a larger number of greater thickness of loose sheets of paper than shown in Fig. 3 at Figs. 4 and 5.

The spring part of the device constituting my invention consists of the sti bar of steel or iron marked G, which, as shown at Fig. 1 more especially, extends completely across the width of the device. Upon each end of the bar G there is carried a lever H, and these levers H are connected at their lower ends by a wire or metallic bar I, which connects them within the metallic loop Cof the lower cover B. The wire I is free to slide back and forth to a slight extent within the loop C. Upon each end of the bar G there is wound the spiral metallic spring J. (Seen only completely in Fig. 1.) The outer ends of the metallic springs J J constitute elastic levers J and J". Those marked J engage with the cross wire F, which is held in a groove BX, formed in that end of the under cover B which is inserted within the metallic loop C, rivets passing through loop C and cover B on each side of the groove so as to strengthen said cover, and the inner ends of the metallic spring J (marked J and J) are engaged with the wire F, which extends across the metallic loop L of the upper cover A,as shown in the drawings. By means of this arrangement of the springs and spring-arms J and Jl it follows that the terminals of each spring, as shown by the drawings, act pressurewise in opposition to each other, so that the tendency of the projecting or lever parts of each spring J-that is to say, the arms J/ and JL-` is to press the covers A and B hard or close together and correspondingly to press the papers E and the pressure-plate D hard down upon the lower cover B, so as to securely hold any desired number or thickness of papersE between these parts. Upon the ends of the wire F the pressure-plate D is suspended pivotally,so that its under fiat surface may always accommodate itself to the loose papers E, upon which it presses, and it is preferably constructed with an inclined rear edge D', as shown in the drawings, through a slot in which the spring-arm J" passes.

In case of books of greater width than shown at Fig. l it is desirable to use three or more springs J and three arms J to press at of the upper cover A in addition to pressing at the ends thereof only, as hereinbefore described and shown at Fig. 1.

For the purpose of placing the parts of the device constituting my invention at a wider distance apart, so as to accommodate it for inserting thereinto a greater thickness of papers than is shown at Figs. Q, 3, and 4, the levers H H on the ends of the bar G are mounted pivotally on the ends of the bar, so that they may be readily moved into the position shown at Fig. 5 or into any intermediate position or into a vertical position. The ends of the levers H are attached to the wire I or to two pieces of such wire, which is or are always within the loop C, as shown in the drawings. When the levers H H are in the position shown at Fig. 5, a much larger space exists between the plate D and the under cover B than when the levers H H are in the positions shown at Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

It will be seen that the bar G acts asa fulcrum when the upper cover is bent back to lift the pressure-plate.

Having now described my invention and the best system, mode, or manner I am at present acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, what I claim as new, and to be secured to me by Letters Patent,is as follows:

1. In combination, the upper and lower covers, a bar supported from the lower cover and adjustable in respect thereto, a fulcrumbar in rear of the upper cover, spring-arms carried by said fulcrum-bar and pivoted to the upper and lower covers, and arms securing the fulcrum-bar to the adjustable bar whereby the position of the fulcrum-bar may be changed.

2. In combination, the upper and lower covers, a fulcrum-bar in rear of the upper cover, spring-arms carried by said bar and pivoted to the upper and lower covers and means for changing the position of the fulcrum-bar, substantially as described.

3. In combination, the upper and lower covers, metal loops secured to the rear end thereof, a fulcrum-bar, a bar sliding in the loop of the lower cover, arms connecting said bars and spring-arms carried by the fulcrumbar and pivoted to the upper and lower covers, substantially as described.

4. In combination, the Lipper and lower covers, metal loops secured to the ends thereof, a fulcrum-bar, a bar sliding in the loop of the lower cover, arms connecting said bars, a bar fixed in the forward end of the loop, a bar in the loop of the upper cover, springs carried by the fulcrum-bar and having one set of ends Secured to the bar of the upper cover and their other ends secured to the fixed bar of the lower cover and a pressure-plate swiveled on the bar of the upper cover, substantially as described.

5. In combination the upper and lower intermediate points of the bar G and loop L i covers, metal loops extending across the rear IOO IIO

ends thereof, a pressure-plate a fulcrum-bar extending across and above the metal loop of the lower cover, a bar movable within the said loop, arms connecting said bars, spiral springs on the fulcrum-bar, and having springarms projecting therefrom at each end two ot' these arms being connected with the lower cover, and the other two of these arms being connected to the upper cover, substantially as described.

6. In combination, the upper and lower covers, metal loopssecured to the end thereof, a fulcrum-bar, arms connected at one end to said bar and having their other ends slidably connected with the loop of the lower cover, coiled springs carried by the fulcrumbar and having their ends connected to the upper and lower covers, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereoil I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 8th day of September, A. D. 1902, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RALPH G. WHITLOCK. [L s] Witnesses:

HADAssAH DAY, ST. JOHN DAY. 

